Fourth Use
by Seryn
Summary: What will Ban do when he's facing Shido, who's determined to really hurt him, and he's already used his Jagan three times in one day? Will it take him the ultimate step... Oneshot.


**Disclaimer: **I don't own GetBackers, so please don't sue.

**A/N: **This is my first fanfic, so R&R please! I'm sorry if it's OOC and cheesy. Therefore: **Warning: Probably very OOC.**

**Fourth Use**

A crash. The long spikes were twisted back, the purple glasses slightly off-balance, the white shirt rumpled against the force of his collision with a wall. Ban looked up at the moon, watching shadows begin to cover it as he tried to stand again. But the life-or-death fight with the Monkey Trainer was still going, and Ban _would not lose _to him. Even if his legs were currently pinned under several large rocks.

A figure blocked the moonlight, and Ban scrabbled to find a rock, a log, a lamppost, _anything_ he could reach to throw at the monkey boy. But he was just so tired. Too tired to even raise his hand. He just looked at Shido, his cutting stare clouding over. He was just…too tired. He slumped against the wall, resting his head on the underside of the dent.

Panting heavily, Shido stared down at the snake bastard and debated whether or not to finish him off. He knew Madoka wouldn't have approved of the fight, which is why he'd dragged Ban out here instead of just taking him at his word (_so show who's stronger, Monkey Boy_) down at the Honky Tonk. Ban had just gone too far. Again. Except this time, he'd know who was really stronger. Moreover, Shido knew he wouldn't be stopped by the Jagan, since Ban had already used it three times that day. Shido looked up at the night stars, and contemplated calling some of his friends to poop on Ban or his Ladybug, the ultimate humiliation.

Ban stared up at Shido, feeling around his bruised jaw with his tongue. Tasting the salty tang of blood, he spat it out, noting that his blood looked black in the washed out colours of the moon-drenched park. He looked up at Shido, and hoped Ginji wasn't in some sort of hissy fit, missing him. Ban tried to smile, around his bruised lip. He straightened his shades and stared out above them at the starlit sky. And the towers of Shinjuku's skyline. He smirked, this time.

"Monkey boy, are you going to finish me off, or stay there all night dreaming of the female ape you're going home to?"

"Don't call Madoka a female ape!" Shido said, then stopped. He hadn't wanted to admit to Ban that he'd hit a nerve. Shido ground his teeth as the inevitable smirk appeared on Ban's slumped figure.

"So, are you going to finish me off or what?" The figure pulled a cigarette out of his pocket, then his lighter, then lit his cigarette. A breeze made the trail of smoke track off to the side. Shido clenched his fists.

"See? You're weak, monkey boy. Not being able to finish me just proves it."

"If I finish you off, I won't have to suffer you and your taunts ever again. On the other hand, if I do, Ginji will probably kill me and Madoka will probably never speak to me again. So…" Shido looked at Ban, watching Ban lean back against the sizable dent in the wall, with no way out, since his legs were pinned under some rocks. "I'll just _hurt_ you a little bit." The Beast Master's sparrows watched from the gray-trunked trees as Shido summoned his claws. Wanting to prove the snake bastard wrong, he lunged for Midou Ban, his aim slightly to the left of Ban's throat.

As his claws buried themselves into a brick to the side of Ban's head, Shido stared at Ban, wanting him to break, to plead, to beg for mercy. Ban did none of those things, simply staring at Shido. The clouded gaze cleared, became sharp and sharper until, until…

_The Jagan?_ _But Ban's already used it three times today!_

Shido stared out at a field of infinite stars. A trail of cigarette smoke invaded his nostrils, and he turned to find Ban looking straight at him, the cigarette still firmly in his mouth. Ban took the cigarette from his mouth and ground it into the ground. It faded from the dimension they were in.

"The consequence for using a fourth Jagan is to vanish from the physical plane and the memories of the people who have met you. All your deeds are undone, also," a majestic alto voice echoed from the limitless corners. "You are allowed one final word to your companion, since he won't remember you or it in any case."

Ban walked up to Shido and patted him on the shoulder, ignoring the Beast Master's gaping mouth.

"Take care of Ginji – or Raitei – for me, will you?"

Midou Ban, a GetBacker, partner to Ginji, walked past Shido. Shido turned around to demand an explanation, but found that the blurring figure – _Who'd have so many long spikes, anyway?_ - was fading, fading, gone. Who had it been, anyway?

Shido wondered what he was doing in a field full of stars when he had to stop Raitei from electrocuting everyone in the Lower Town bar.

A burst of white light, and Shido wondered why a snatch of beautiful (_violin?_) music was playing in his head, while he leapt over a table and tried to restrain Raitei. As he found himself in front of Raitei, electricity crackled around him, and he saw his life beginning to flash before his eyes – all the scenes he remembered from his times in VOLTs, and then scenes that didn't make sense – a café called the 'Honky Tonk'? A small character which he could have _sworn _was Ginji hiding up a support pole while a skinny figure wearing a dark suit and broad-brimmed hat laughed? A huge mansion with a blind angel staring out the window? _How did he know she was blind, anyway?_

And just _who _was that skinny, purple-shade-wearing, smoking silhouette with a snake aura around him?

Shido shook away the memories. There were more important things to deal with. Like surviving Raitei's lightning, for example. He tried to bring up that blind… what was he doing? He couldn't remember…  
"Speak, Fuyuki!"  
Shido looked at Raitei.  
_Bzzzt!_

The world went black.

Shido found himself on one knee, looking at a moonlit pile of rock and a big dent in a wall. He didn't remember why he was here. Why wasn't he back at Mugenjou, staring at a _hole_ in a wall, which Raitei had probably put him through?

"Had enough, monkey boy?"  
The sound of a lighter clicking sent Shido spinning around, nearly losing his balance.  
"Y-you!"  
"What, don't remember me? I'm the Invincible Midou Ban-sama."  
"Midou Ban, Midou Ban… Madoka!" Suddenly remembering her name, Shido rose to his feet. Looking down at the ground, Shido said, "I thought you'd faded out."

The lighter clicked again. Ban smirked. "What, glad I'm still here? Emotions don't look too good on you, Shido."

Ban looked at the stars.

"How did you use the Jagan four times in one day?" Shido tried to sound casually curious, but he knew his tone was slightly exasperated.

Ban looked at the latest tower in Shinjuku, a digital clock one.

Shido followed Ban's gaze. "Well, screw you."

It was 12:02.

**  
**


End file.
